MICHELLE SCZPANSKI was recently appointed deputy commissioner of neighborhood development in the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD) of the City of Syracuse. Sczpanski will be responsible for advancing and managing initiatives aimed at promoting safe, affordable, and stable housing and creating more vibrant, resilient neighborhoods. She will provide oversight and day-to-day supervision of the staff and activities in Neighborhood Planning, the Housing Stability program, the city’s Federal Grants Program and the Lead Hazard Reduction team. She first joined city government in 2016. Sczpanski most recently served as the city’s director of housing and neighborhood planning. She managed implementation of $1.2 million of neighborhood-improving programs through the Cities RISE grant, which aims to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of code enforcement operations, as well as the Zombie 2.0 grant, funded by the NYS Attorney General’s Office. As part of these programs, she led the creation of the city’s Community Ambassador Program, which employs residents to provide direct outreach and support to individuals experiencing housing issues. She also oversaw efforts to require banks and loan servicers to bring vacant properties into compliance. Sczpanski has been instrumental in using data and mapping to paint a picture of ways to advance equitable housing work and community development investments citywide through the Resurgent Neighborhood Initiative (RNI) and the Infill Development Plan. In addition, Sczpanski was crucial in identifying target locations for American Rescue Plan Act housing allocations, as well as the prioritization of code-enforcement efforts as part of the HOME Unit. Beyond her position as deputy commissioner of neighborhood development, Sczpanski also serves on the board of directors for the Near Westside Initiative. Sczpanski received bachelor’s degrees in policy studies and citizenship and civic engagement, as well as her bachelor’s in public relations from Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. 

YVONNE JOLLY has joined Geneva General Cardiology Associates with offices in Geneva and Penn Yan. She has more than 35 years of health-care experience, most recently practicing at Sands-Constellation Heart Institute. Jolly completed her master’s degree in nursing from Syracuse University and earned her bachelor’s in nursing from Nazareth College. She began her nursing education at Finger Lakes Community College, where she received her associate degree in nursing.

Nascentia Health recently welcomed three new staff members to its Central New York workforce. JENNIFER HOPSON, RN, is a care manager in Nascentia’s managed long-term care plan, working with members to develop care plans that provide the best possible care and support. She previously worked for St. Joseph’s Home Care, completing medical and psychiatric visits. Hopson has more than 20 years of experience in the field.

AMBER ROBERTS, RN, also joins Nascentia as an assessment nurse in the managed long-term care plan, completing assessments and educating patients about Nascentia’s many services. She previously worked at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center as a Cardiovascular ICU nurse, caring for patients after open-heart surgery, lung surgery, and other critical illnesses.

TYLER KIMBALL is a marketing specialist, working on a wide range of marketing and communication tasks, including graphic design, social media, and writing. He previously worked for Genesee Community College as a media-service coordinator, providing extensive audio/visual support to the campus community. Kimball has a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from SUNY Oneonta.

Loretto has hired ELEANOR WILLIAMS as employee coach. She is formerly an experienced social worker for Onondaga County. During a time when recruiting and retaining employees is challenging for the health-care sector nationwide, Williams will be instrumental in guiding and mentoring a new generation of frontline workers. She is Loretto’s second employee coach and will expand on the success of the original coach position. Williams will work closely with new hires, as well as existing employees to ensure each individual can find and access the appropriate resources to succeed in a career in long-term care. Different from a traditional management coach, Williams’ primary focus is to work with new hires to help them smoothly transition into their new roles and guide them through challenges as new employees in the long-term care sector. For many new hires, this is their first professional role in health care, and this group of new professionals’ benefits from not only career coaching, but assistance on a wide range of matters. Williams will teach new hires how to properly manage workload and stress and help remove barriers that prohibit them from being successful. Prior to joining Loretto, Williams spent more than a decade working in social services for Onondaga County, first as a social-service examiner and later as a caseworker. Most recently, Williams served as a child-protective caseworker, where she investigated case reports on behalf of clients, analysis of cases and directed clients to appropriate resources. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Syracuse University. She is currently working towards a master’s degree in social work, also at Syracuse University, and is expected to graduate in May 2024. 

JAN LANE has been promoted to senior philanthropic advisor at the Central New York Community Foundation, after serving in her previous role as development officer for five years. Lane leads the ongoing fostering and facilitation of the Community Foundation’s legacy planning services, which honor the charitable intent of legacy fund donors and preserves their legacies after they are gone. She also provides charitable-planning services for individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations in the Central New York region.

DANA LYONS-CANTY has been promoted to scholarships and student support officer for the Community Foundation and Say Yes Syracuse, after serving in her previous role for more than three years. She focuses on providing opportunities that cultivate a scholarship culture that is more interactional and less transactional. Lyons-Canty is passionate about changing lives and providing proper resources and emotional support for individual success.

PRAGYA S. MURPHY has been promoted to senior philanthropic advisor at the Community Foundation, after serving in her previous role as development officer for three years. Murphy leads professional advisor outreach and provides charitable-planning services for individuals and families. In her new role, she will be leading the cultivation and facilitation of nonprofit agency funds. Murphy is highly engaged in local nonprofits in various ways, including serving on the advisory board of WISE Women’s Business Center for over five years. She also recently joined the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP-CNY) board of directors.

AHMEED TURNER has been promoted to VP, scholarships and student support at the Community Foundation, in addition to his role as the executive director of Say Yes Syracuse, which he has held for five years. In that role, Turner is responsible for ensuring that all eligible students receive Say Yes to Education scholarships. In his new additional role, Turner will manage the Community Foundation’s many scholarships while providing college admissions and financial-aid support to students and their families.`